blood tests and weight loss - is it worth it?

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mrxandmry
mrxandmry Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone,
I would like to build the right diet for myself for weight loss and for providing the right nutrition. My MFP reports suggest I am not getting enough calcium, iron, potassium. But maybe I already have high levels of those? Does it really help to have the blood tests results? Which ones are the best ones to get?

Thanks.

Replies

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Like everyone who has any sense will advise you to do, visit a doctor when beginning your weight loss journey.

    You'll get a goal weight, a daily calorie totally, learn what foods you should and shouldn't be eating, what (if any) limits you have on exercise and they can supervise as you go.

    If there are deficiencies, they'll tell you and advise you about supplements.

    Simple. Smart. :)
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
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    He isn't grossly overweight... doesn't have a lot of weight to lose. I don't know that "everyone who has any sense" would advise him to go to the doc for a weight loss plan.

    My doc is useless when it comes to that, I didn't go to her. I did my own research, signed up here, and learned how to budget my calories better. I started working out.

    A lot of people say to go see your doctor, but a lot of that is CYA - it's not up to me to say if you are healthy... so do what the doc tells you to do.

    But in practicality... I'd be surprised if many actually DID go see their doc first.




    As for the supplements and blood test... can't help you there. Maybe you should visit a doctor.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I wouldn't have blood tests based on anything MFP told me. First, I'd research if their levels are even sensible. Then if I thought they were, I'd add foods with those nutrients into my diet somewhere in the week or add supplements, if I was worried about it.

    But if I ate a varied diet of mostly healthy foods, I wouldn't worry about it unless I had some symptoms of being deficient in something. Studies show people with access to a wide variety of foods don't suffer from nutrient deficiencies, but a multivitamin is cheap insurance.

    The daily diary makes people feel like they need to hit 100% of each item each day for health and it's really not like that. Your body doesn't reset at midnight like MFP.
  • mrxandmry
    mrxandmry Posts: 5 Member
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    Thank you for the responses. That last one makes a lot of sense. I guess I am just gonna get for the sake of it to see whats going on inside of me. I have been quite strict with my raw foods and meat diet for a while now and actually haven't been taking any supplements. I think it would be good to see how have I been doing. I found a pretty comprehensive test for $95 http://www.walkinlab.com/wellness2essentialbloodtestpanel.html
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    I don't think that "anyone who has any sense" would go to a doctor before losing weight - My doctor is bloody useless when it comes to that stuff and I have researched and know what's healthy and appropriate for me. I think that would be a waste of my doctor's time and my money.

    I otherwise agree with WalkingAlong.
  • Agator82
    Agator82 Posts: 249 Member
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    He isn't grossly overweight... doesn't have a lot of weight to lose. I don't know that "everyone who has any sense" would advise him to go to the doc for a weight loss plan.

    My doc is useless when it comes to that, I didn't go to her. I did my own research, signed up here, and learned how to budget my calories better. I started working out.

    A lot of people say to go see your doctor, but a lot of that is CYA - it's not up to me to say if you are healthy... so do what the doc tells you to do.

    But in practicality... I'd be surprised if many actually DID go see their doc first.

    There is too much truth to this statement. My experience you cannot trust the doctor and must verify for yourself, and be your own advocate. Plus, generally speaking not all blood tests will look at the mineral content in your blood stream so you still have to specify what you want.

    That being said, WalkingAlong is on target varied diet is the best way to go, generally speaking.

    PS - My apologies to any doctors out there, I am sure some of you take great care of your patients.

    PPS - Consult your doctor before starting any weight loss routine.
  • elephant2mouse
    elephant2mouse Posts: 906 Member
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    :noway: I don't even HAVE a doctor... :ohwell:
  • mem50
    mem50 Posts: 1,384 Member
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    I had a full vitamin panel done. They have a different name for it but it checked everything including minerals. There were several ones I was low on and had almost no D-3. So yes, a visit to the doctor or just a walk in blood test is a very good idea.
  • kazzsj0urney
    kazzsj0urney Posts: 57
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    I didnt go see my doctor for blood tests etc before i started losing weight but looking back now i wish I did (that said I weighed 380 pounds so in a different category) i get them done regularly now as i discoverred i am iron deficient.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
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    If you want to supplement your diet, you need to have vitamin panels done. That is, if you're going to take something more than a simple multi-vitamin... though even those, you shouldn't really need to take unless you are deficient in your dietary goals.

    I see people saying it's no big deal, but in my eyes, it's a very good idea to have a general blood panel and major vitamin levels checked, regardless of your weight at the beginning. The reason being is that, the internal numbers can be a stronger indicator of your health than the number on the scale or tape measure. For example, cholesterol... Monitoring the HDL and LDL levels can be a strong indicator for the efficacy of your diet and exercise plan. All too often, thinner people think they are healthy simply because of the weight they carry, but then have a heart attack or something because their cholesterol and sodium levels were off the charts.

    So I say, it doesn't hurt to get a panel done. Just get a physical. Followup 3-6-9-one year later, whatever you choose. My first three months here, I lost a chunk of weight and it didn't appear to show very much BUT the bloodwork showed major improvements.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    Thank you for the responses. That last one makes a lot of sense. I guess I am just gonna get for the sake of it to see whats going on inside of me. I have been quite strict with my raw foods and meat diet for a while now and actually haven't been taking any supplements. I think it would be good to see how have I been doing. I found a pretty comprehensive test for $95 http://www.walkinlab.com/wellness2essentialbloodtestpanel.html
    $95 buys a lot of supplements. :tongue:

    Do you have medical insurance? I wonder if a doctor prescribing certain tests would get them covered by insurance. I don't think most people with insurance pay for cholesterol checks and things like that, but I'm not sure because I don't check mine.
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
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    Lots of the food in the MFP database doesn't have the vitamin content information added to it, and very rare for everything to have potassium information since this isn't legally required on nutritional labels. Anyway, if you're basing this post on not meeting the 100% threshold it is very likely because the data is missing from MFP not because there aren't sufficient nutrients in your food. Having said that, can't hurt to get a full medical done regularly.

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